Core B: Developmental Core Staff of the core will include Core Director John M. Coffin, Ph.D. He is Professor of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Coffin is a leading figure in research on the biology of retroviruses. Dr. Coffin's responsibilities will be to oversee the process of soliciting, reviewing and awarding developmental funding, and to initiate a program to encourage the recruitment and development of minority scientists. Basic purposes of the core will be 1) to provide developmental awards through a peer-reviewed process in order to encourage new research and to attract new investigators to the HIV/AIDS research field; 3) to expand the number of investigators from under-represented minority groups who are active in the field of AIDS research. Developmental Funds will be earmarked to three types of projects: pilot projects involving established AIDS investigators who desire to develop data regarding a hypothesis that may result in a full RO1 submission; Initial AIDS research projects that involve investigators new the AIDS research fielding initiating an HIV/AIDS research; and collaborative projects that allow two or more established investigators to form a creative collaboration that will produce synergy between the research being performed in different disciplines.